Capacity Building of Private Sector SMEs

The Situation

Prime Consulting International Ltd has a broad background in small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) support activities, in both developed and developing countries.

Generally, in developed country environments, client companies are start-ups or emerging businesses bringing niche value-added products to market.

In the context of developing countries, Prime’s commercial business experience is leveraged in aid-funded activities to assist SME business development.

Work done in this area includes:

• Scoping and concept development for a dairy industry support programme in Fiji (2014)
• Establishment of co-operative potato packing and marketing business in Afghanistan (2013)
• Establishment of women’s bee product  business in Afghanistan (2013)
• Business Impact Assessment of proposed Food Safety Bill on the SME sector, Hong Kong (2009)
• Provision of business development assistance to a New Zealand value-added beef production business (2006/07)
• Providing strategic business advice to a niche New Zealand organic foods company resulting in business growth and eventual trade sale (2002-2005)
• Assistance with establishment of Blokart International Ltd (www.blokart.co.nz) as a highly-successful growth company targeting niche export markets (2002)

The Process

Prime Consulting International Ltd approaches all its business support assignments with an initial needs analysis. Prime directors and many of its consultants have private sector backgrounds and hands-on experience with business start-ups and the challenges that SMEs face in terms of sustainability and growth. Prime brings a well-developed understanding of the wider dynamics of the business environment, in relation to the interaction between government policies and private sector development, as well as impacts of globalised markets.

Once the business support needs of the target enterprise or sector have been defined, Prime and the client map out a programme of actions to address them. A Prime consultant works alongside the management of the business to guide progress, provide mentoring support and facilitate the provision of particular specialist inputs or expertise where required. Clear and measurable performance indicators are established from the outset so that progress against the agreed plan is able to be tracked and adjustments are made when needed.

Prime’s SME development expertise and experience with the sector is called upon from time to time by policy makers looking for expert assistance in developing policies or regulations that impact upon private sector development.

The Outcome

Every SME development assignment has its own specific targeted outcomes. In every project Prime has undertaken, targeted outcomes have been achieved.

These include:

• Business start-ups becoming sustainable going concerns
• Emerging growth businesses moving to larger scale
• Policies related to private sector development being adjusted to be more favourable to the survival and growth of SMEs

Prime team members with SME development experience

• Alan Pearson
• Grant Jeffrey
• Angus Davidson
• Chris Asby
• Others also involved: Brian Milne, Michael Green